Electrical fixture-supporting device



15mm v R. B. BENJAMIN ELECTRICAL FIXTURE SUPPORTING D EVIC'E Original Filed July 5-. 1921 Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

nannnJAMIn,--,or CHICAGO, Rumors; essienon T0 BENJAMIN nnno'rmo mmemnnmeoomreny, I oFcHIoAGo, ILLINOIS, A? CORPORATION 0F IIILINOISJ ELIEGTR'ICAL FIXT'UREsUrroRTING DEVICE.

aii nautnafiiu may: 5, 1921; Serial nected l disconnected witlt-respeohto the" recept ac 'etlijelectr'iaillyand'mechanically;

A fiirth'er obj tee ofi riy finvention is" to "provide aatliief p'roofconstructionhaving means rorz'pievenangtiie removal ofthe fiirture by an' uiituthorified persorri kfurthfer otiject of myinventionis*to"-pro mettle a" device which wilh be simple in*' construction, cheap;- to" manufacture and durab'le aii'du.efiicieiit in use I Fii-rtlier-- objects will appear from the de-' tailed descriptiomto follow and -from the ap-- pen'ded claims- In -thadi=awingsin which an embodiment of invention "is showir is' ajrvertical tuvialisection showing a fikture, and aconnecting' brack- Fig. Wis front view showing the=- receptacle' a" late;-

Fig: braereegz Eagerus aerearwiew'dethe plug-in device; and V a ise-perspective rvi'ew slrowing a retaining pin, v

The-" ccastmaieh "the drawings comprises a fixture 11, a receptacle 12, a plug-in device 13 for electrically connecting the fixture with the receptacle, and a mechanical connecting member or bracket 14 for mechanically connecting the fixture with respect to the receptacle.

lhe plug-in device 13 is carried by the connecting bracket 14, being bodily slidably mounted thereon to permit the necessary movement of the connecting bracket 14 to make the mechanical connection Without interfering with the insertion of the contact blades 15 of the plug-in device 13 into the bracket and 1 is -a ""drit view of the supporting No; 482,473? Renewed April 4, 1924-:

ofthebracketi Thesupporting'plate 17 is provided with 'a pair of slots 20, to receivethe hook members 18, and with a notch 21- adj'acent the lower "end of the receptacle to receivethe headed member 19. The connection of theb racket .14with the supporting plate 17 is effected by two movements, first a movement'of'insertion, to bring the hook members 18'--and headedmember 19 back of the-plate l'i', and second, a downward movement to-engage'the hook members 18 and' headed member 19 with the supporting plate 17. The sliding movement between the plug in device 13 and the connecting bracket 14,- hereinbefore referred to, permits the downward movement of the connecting bracket 14 without interference from the engagement 'of-the blaides15 in theopeningslfi.

The s'liding connection of the plug-in'de vice 13 with the connecting bracket 14 ise-fv fected -bymeans of a pairof lugs 22 struck upkfroin' the materialeof' the bracket 14, and" the plug-being held betweenthe body portion of the bracket and these lugs. The bracket 14 may be a-sheet metal "stamping,- the hook member's 18, the headed member 19 and'the' lugs 22 beingformed" as integral parts of this stampings I In order to positively hold 5 the" bracket 14" in connected position on the plate 17, V a latch piii 23i is' provided; which slips inf' runderthe'insulating of the plug in devi'c'e i 13 y when theybracket 14' is; moved dowd into connectedposition with respect to the plate l 'i, as shownin*Fig.- 1. In order to cause this latch pin 23 to snap into latching position, a leaf-spring 26 is provided having a forked end portion which bears on the collar 27 on the latch pin 23, to urge the latch pin inwardly to cause it to snap in underneath the insulating base 24 when the bracket 14 is moved downwardly. V

.In order to prevent theft, or the removal of the fixture by anyone except an authorized person, the construction issuch that the latch pin 23 can be released only by use of ajspecial key '28. This key 28 is insertable through an opening 29 in the y r ally with respect thereto, means acting; be-

tween said bracket and plug for retaining canopy 30 and is provided at its'inner end with a left-hand screw-threaded socket 31, which screws onto the left-hand threaded shank portion 33 of the latch pin 28. Then the key 28 is inserted through the opening 29 and screwed onto the end of the latch pin 23, the latch pin can be released simply "by pulling the key 28 outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, thus moving the latch pin 23 out from underneath the insulating base 24, and permitting the bracket 'lt to be moved upwardly to release it from engagement with the plate 17.v In order to prevent the latch pin 23 from turning when the key 28 is being screwed on or unscrewed, the latch pin 23 is provided with upper and lower fiat faces 34, and the opening 35 in the bracket 14 is correspond. ingly flattened at the top and bottom, so that the pin 23 cannot rotate in this opening. In order to prevent. the pin 23 from being drawn out too far, stop lug 36v is struck up from the material of the bracket. 14, this stop lug 36 being located in position to be engaged by the leaf-spring 26 when the pin 23. is pulled outwardly, 'to limit the outward inoven'ient of the leafspring, and thus also limit the outward movement of the latch pin 23.

For securing the fixture .11 to the bracket 14, a pair of transversely extending-straps are provided, the ends of which are secured to the canopy 30, and the. intermediate portions oi which are securedto' lugs 38, formed integral with the bracket 14, by means of screws 39. p

A suitable finishing plate or escutcheon 40 may be provided in front of the supporting] plate l 7, and secured thereto by means of screws 41;, 3

Having thus described my invention what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

receptacle, of means for electrically and mechanically connecting said fixture with respect to said receptacle, comprising a bracket and a plug-in device slidably mounted thereon, -v said bracket being pro l. The combinationwith a fixture anda movement toward said receptacle and latersaid bracket in connected position, and means for preventing the release of saidretaining means by anunauthorized-person.

2. The combination with a fixture and a receptacle, of means for electrically and mechanically connecting said fixture with respect to saidreceptacle comprising a a plug-in device slidably bracket and I mounted thereon, said bracket being prof" vided with meanswhereby it may be con-' nected with respect to said receptacle by; movement toward said receptacle and laterally with respect thereto, means acting between said bracket and plug for retaining said bracket in connected position, vand means for. preventing the release oflsaid retaining meansby an unauthorized person, said means for reta ning compr sing a pin slidably. mounted .on the, bracket and engaging the plug-in device. 3. The combination withafixtureand'a receptacle, of means for electrically and mechanically connecting said fixture with,

respect to said receptacle, comprising a bracket and a ,plugeinq device slidably mounted thereon, said bracket being pro-J vided Wltll meanswhereb-y it' may be con- 7 nected in position with respect to, .said receptacle by movement toward said receptacle and laterally with respect thereto,

means acting between said bracketand plugin device for retaining said-bracket in connected position, and key-controlled 'means torreleasing said retaining means. V 4-. The combination with a fixture and a receptacle, of means for electricallyjand mechanically connecting said fixture with I respect 7 to, said receptacle, comprising. a

bracket and a plug-in device 'slidably.

mounted thereon, said bracket being pro vided. with means. whereby it may becon nected with respect to said receptacle by movement towardsaidvreceptacle and later; ally with respect thereto, and means for preventing the disconnection of said, bracket by an unauthorized person;

In witne'sswhereof, ,I have hereunto sub- I scribed my name.

REUBEN B. BENJ 

